Danny and the Goth Girl Below
by Young Phantom
Summary: Danny life is, complicated. He goes to high school in Paris, has ghost powers, and a crazy stepfather. But life is great with his girlfriend, Ellie, and other best friends. But after meeting the new girl Sam Manson, and befriending her, he starts to second guess his relationship with Ellie. But Sam has a shorta boyfriend back home, and he can't be falling for her, right? DxS
1. Chapter 1

"When will your flight land." My girlfriend says from the other line of my phone.

I'm currently in San François airport with my mom and sister Jazz, waiting for my flight to be called. I'm also on the phone with my girlfriend Ellie.

"Late, so you don't have to wait up or anything." I tell her.

"Ok baby, but we should meet up tomorrow, I've missed you." She replies back.

"I promise, but I have to go, Jazz is giving me the look." I turn and look at my 20 year old sister glaring at me.

Jazz is basically the sister you wish you didn't have, but would die if you didn't have her. She has light red hair that reaches her back and blue, almost teal eyes. She's wearing a black long sleeve shirt and blue jeans, with her heart shaped necklace that she almost never takes off from my dad. She's also departing from San Francois to start her 2nd year at Yale. She's majoring in physiology and minoring in human interaction. So basically she's always reading people and giving me therapy sessions that I never ask for.

"Well I don't want to get on your sisters bad side." Ellie laughs. "I'll see you tomorrow, bye."

"Bye." I hang up the phone and look over at my sister, who's giving me a look. "What?"

"These are our last moments together before I'm at Yale, you're in Paris, and mom's here alone, and you're singing love songs to your girlfriend?" she crosses her arm over her chest.

"1, mom is in the bathroom, 2, I haven't seen her in almost three months because she stayed in France for break, 3, I won't see her as much because she's going to Parsons Paris now for photography." I offend myself.

"Oh, Danny thinks he's _so_ badass just because he's dating a college girl now." Jazz rolls her eyes.

"I totally do." I sit next to her and turn to see my mom, Maddie Fenton, coming towards us.

"Now, now, kids." She sits next to me. "Stop bickering. This is our last moments together until Thanksgiving break."

My mom is probably the best person in the world. She has short, dark red hair and violet eyes. She's wearing her signature blue jumpsuit and black belt with ecto-guns attacked to it.

Yea, that's right, I said ecto-guns. She's a ghost hunter. One of the best in Amity Park, I might add. Well, besides me.

"Yea, unless Vlad messing things up like last year." I mumble and my mom gives me a pointed look.

"Last year was, um, complicated, but I still got to see my two favorite people in the world, and that's what counts." She shot back.

Vlad is my step-father, key word _step._ My real dad, Jack Fenton died when I was only a few months old in a ghost attack. My mother married Vlad Masters, her and my dad's college buddy, a few years later. But, during my sixth grade year, they separated, not divorced. Do you want to know _why_ they didn't get a divorce? BECAUSE HE WON'T LET HER!

Ugh, and about last year's Thanksgiving. It was supposed to be just my mother, Jazz, and me. But guess who decided to drop by? The dear old fruit-loop Vlady.

Basically all hell broke loss, but he stayed anyway, since my mother is a saint. He started drama, and left behind his stench.

"_Flight 21 to Paris, France. Now boarding flight 21 to Paris, France." _The over-speaker announces.

"Well." We all stand up. "That's me."

First my mom grabs me into her embrace. "I'll miss you Danny. Text me when you land so I know you made it safe."

"I promise mom." I let go of her and hug Jazz.

"Be safe little brother, and call me if you need help with anything." She releases me a little so was looking eye to eye. "And I mean _anything._"

I roll my eyes at her overprotectiveness. "I know Jazz, but I'll be fine, I always am." I wink at her,

I let go of her, pick up my carry-on bag and start walking towards the boarding doors. "Bye!"

"Bye sweetie." My mom waves at me.

"And good luck on the flight!" Jazz yells.

Did I mention I have a fear of heights? And I hand-full of people who know my secret find that _so _hilarious.

"Hey dude, are you at the school yet." I ask Tucker, my best friend, as I'm sitting in a cab on my way to my school.

"Yea man, but I'm hanging out with Valerie, if you get my drift, so I'll meet up with you at lunch." He replies and I can hear Val laughing in the background.

"Um, TMI dude, I'll talk to you later." And I hang up before he can reply.

I've been going to School of America in Paris, or SOAP, since freshman year. Freshman year is when I met three of my best friends, Meredith, Valerie, and Ellie. Mer and Val was freshman, like me, and Ellie was a sophomore. Then I met Tucker, my best guy friend, the next year, when he was a freshman and I was a sophomore. Tucker is also the only one I told my secret too. Mer and Val found out on their own last year. They saw me change and were very accepting. I haven't told Ellie, nor do I plan to. No offence to her, but if we break-up or something, I don't need her hating me and holding my secret as blackmail.

"That will be 30 euros sir." I look out my window and see that we are, indeed, outside my dorm room. The dorm I'm staying in is for juniors and seniors, while the freshman and sophomores have another dorm. While the first and second year students have a curfew and strict supervision, the third and fourth year students didn't have a curfew of any kind and only had one adult, Mr. Lancer, living with us. He's a guidance counselor, but is paid to stay with us as well. Whenever we want to leave, we just have to sign in and out on the sign in/out paper.

"Here you go." I hand him the money and then get out of the cab. I go to the truck and grab my two suit cases and carry-on bag and head inside.

I look at my student information sheet and see that my room is on the second floor.

Great, stairs.

I drag, with a struggle, my bags up the stairs until I reach my room. I pull out my key and unlock my door.

Wow, looks just like every other room I've ever had at this school.

Seven by ten feet, with the same mini- desk, mini- dresser, mini-bed, mini-fridge, mini-sink, and mini-shower. (No mini- toilet, those are shared down the hall for no one's convenience.)

I hold off on unpacking, because I'm lazy and tired, and head down to Mer's room.

I remember her telling me her room number a week ago, which is on the first floor.

As I'm searching for her room, I'm knocked backwards by a person.

Wait, a girl.

"Oof" I stagger backwards.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

I shake my head, a little dazed. I look up at her and the first thing I notice is her jet black hair, like mine, with a purple strip on the right side of it. She had half of it up in a small pony-tail, and it looks adorable.

She looks adorable

"It's okay, I didn't see you either. Are you ok?"

Oh my. Her eyes are amethyst. Some people might mistake them as violet, like my mom's, but I know the difference.

You just have to look hard. Pay attention.

Ok, now I've realized she hasn't said anything.

"Err. Does Mer live here?"

Still nothing.

I clear my throat. "Meredith Chevalier? Tall girl? Big, curly hair?" Then he looks at me like I'm crazy or half deaf.

"I'm sorry." I take the smallest step away from her, thinking I've shocked her or interrupted her form going to her destination. "You were going to bed."

"Yes! Meredith lives there. I've just spent two hours with her." She announces with a grin excitedly "I'm Sam, I'm new."

I can't help but grin back. Her teeth are lovely- straight on bottom, with a touch of overbite, and a small gap between her front two teeth. I'm a sucker for a smile like this, due to my own lack of orthodontia. I have straight on top and crooked on the bottom, with a touch of overbite as well. She's wearing dark colors and make-up, so I'm getting a feeling that she's goth.

"Daniel," Why did I say my full name? "I live one floor up."

"I live there." She points at her room.

I can't help but notice her room is the room right below mine.

I knock on Meredith's door, considering she looks pretty tired. "Well. I'll see you around then, Sam."

Meredith opens her door. "Danny!" she shrieks. She's on the phone. We laugh and hug and talk over each other. "Come in! How was your flight? When'd you get here? Have you seen Tucker? Mom, I've gotta go."

Meredith's phone and door snap shut simultaneously.

Mer has blond hair with long, tight curls. She's tall and big, but not overweight big, volleyball player big, because she's very athletic. A soccer player, actually.

"Mer, calm down, one word at a time." I laugh at her and sit on her bed.

"Well I'm soooo sorry if I missed you over break!" She sits beside me.

"Yea, I missed you too." My thoughts go back to Sam. "Um, who was that girl walking out of your room?"

"Oh her? That was Sam Manson, she's new and in our grade. She was crying in her room so I invited her over for hot chocolate and invited her to sit at our table during eating time." She smiles at me. "I hope you don't mind, she seems really cool, and we need to add someone in our group anyway."

"Yea." I think of those amethyst eyes. "I think we do too."


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning to a blue mist coming out of my mouth.

Seriously, it's the first day.

I look at the clock.

_8:30a.m._

Well, it could've been worst.

"Beware, I am the Box Ghost! Fear my square and rectangular boxes of doom!"

Ugh. Why, oh why, did it have to be the Box Ghost?

I close my eyes and force myself to change into my alter-ego. A white ring forms around my waist and travels up and down my body. My jet black hair turns snow white, my t-shirt and boxers turn in a black and white spandex suit with a DP logo in the middle. My blue eyes turn green and I put my hands into fist and fly out the window to where I heard the Box Ghost.

Did I forget to mention that I'm Danny Phantom?

Well I am, and it's a love hate relationship.

I love having powers and flying and such, but I hate how evil ghost follow me _everywhere_. And when I say everywhere, I mean from Amity Park, all the way to Paris.

I mean, what is there deal? I'm sure my mom could handle things fine in Amity just fine without me, but the ghost follow me, so I don't have to worry about her anyway. But it's really annoying. The minute I decide to move from Amity, Ember playing her guitar outside my dorm room.

Sometimes my life sucks.

And remember how I said I was afraid of heights? Well now you know why everyone who knows my secret (Tucker, Jazz, Meredith, and my friends Valerie, and basically every ghost) thinks it's hilarious. Well there's a story behind it, but sadly, I do not want to think about it.

The Box Ghost is flying around the storage room a few blocks away when I find him, with boxes floating around his head.

"Ugh, I don't have time for this." I say out loud, causing the Box Ghost to turn around at my voice.

"Fear me and my square containers of doom!" he screams at me and throws boxes at me. Luckily for me, I just went intangible and let the boxes go straight through me.

I take out my Fenton thermos and suck him in, "You cannot contain me in a cylinder container!"

"Ugh, give it a rest." I mumble as I shut the thermos.

_BOOM!_

Oh great, just what I need, rain. The first day of school is starting out _fantastic._

The School of America s main building is only a two-minute walk from Residence Lambert, the junior and senior dormitory. The entrance is through a grand archway, set back in a courtyard with manicured trees. Geraniums and ivy trail down from window boxes on each floor, and majestic lion s heads are carved into the center of the dark green doors, which are three times my height. On either side of the doors hangs a red, white, and blue flag one American, the other French.

I ran over to the cafeteria and felt and tug of memories from the building. With its sleek and modern style. It's packed with round birch tables and plants in hanging baskets. The walls are tangerine and lime, and there's a dapper Frenchman in a white chef s hat serving a variety of French food.

I walk over to my usually table, dripping wet, and hear Tucker speaking to our friends loudly from a distance.

He lets go of Valerie's hand and gives an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I am. I'm asking him to prom. This is our year, I just know it."

"This school has a prom?" a familiar voice ask.

"Oh God no," Valerie says. "Yeah, Tucker. You and Danny would look really cute in matching tuxes."

"Tails." I jump in from behind and it makes Meredith and the familiar girl jump in their seats. "I insist the tuxes have tails, or I'm going to corsage Steve Carver instead."

"Danny, my man!" Tucker springs from his seat, and we give each other the classic two-thumps-on-the-back guy hug.

"No kiss Tuck? I'm hurt, dude."

"Thought it might wake up the beautiful beast. She doesn't know about us yet."

"Shut up," Valerie says, but she's smiling now.

I drop my bag and slide into the remaining seat between Valerie and the familiar girl. I turn to her and I'm surprise at what I see. "Sam." She looks as surprised as I am. I look down and see what I'm assuming is _her_ umbrella sitting by her.

"Nice umbrella could've used that this morning." I shake my hands through my hair, and a drop lands on everywhere, not that I cared to much. Then I heard a rumble coming from next to me and my eyes pop out at the rumble as I turn to Sam.

"That sounds serious. You should probably feed that thing. Unless…" I pretends to examine me, then come close and whispers "Unless you're one of those girls who never eat. Can't have that here, especially with a carnivore like Tuck around, have to ban you from the table for life."

. "I'm not sure how to order."

"Simple." Tucker says. "Stand in line. Tell them what you want. Accept delicious goodies. Try the sausages, there delicious."

"I don't eat meat; I'm an ultra- recyclable vegetarian. I meant the menu." She gestures toward the chalkboard above one of the chefs. An exquisite, cursive hand has written out the morning's menu in pink and yellow and white in French. "Not exactly my first language."

"You don't speak French?" Meredith asks.

"YOU DON'T EAT MEAT!" Tucker jumps out of his chair and starts shaking the poor girl. "HOW DO YOU SURVIVE!?"

"Um, easily, actually, you don't need meat, that's fat." she pushes him away from her.

"B-b-but, you need meat! It's on the food pyramid!"

"There's pills you can take dude." she rolls her eyes and address Meredith. "And I've taken Spanish for three years, but that's' not much help. I never really thought I'd ever move to Paris."

"It's ok." Meredith says quickly. "A lot of people here don't know French."

"But most do and most also eat meat!" Tucker adds. Sam and I glare at him for his comments.

"But most of them don't speak it very well." Valerie looks pointedly at Tucker.

"You'll learn the language of food first. The language of love." Tucker rubs his belly like a skinny Buddha. "Oeuf.,Egg. Pomme, Apple. Viande, MEAT!"

"Dude, let the meat thing go, not everyone can scarf down 50 hot dogs in less than an hour and still have room for ribs." I say.

"I hate off my iron stomach." Tucker holds his stomach as if to defend it.

"Well, until I learn?" Sam sasy, glancing at the board.

"Right." I push back my chair. "Come on, I haven't eaten either. As we pass by, a brunette Latino with a teeny tank top coos as soon as we step in line. "Hey, Danny. How was your summer?"

"Hello Paulina. Fine." Ugh, Paulina.

"Did you stay here, or did you go back home?" She leans over her friend, Star, a blond with an orange tank, and positions herself for maximum cleavage exposure. Not that I'm staring.

"I stayed with my mom in San Francisco. Did you have a good holiday?" I ask politely, but I hope my displeasure is dripping a little.

Paulina flips her hair and answers.

"It was amazing, fabulous, and spontaneous." Flip, goes her hair. "I went to Spain for a month at mi padre summer house for a month, and then spent the rest in Manhattan."

I hear Sam snort to keep from laughing behind me, and I get a cough to cover my chuckle.

"But I missed you. Didn't you get my e-mails?"

"Um, no, you must have the wrong address. Hey." I nudges Sam, turning away from Paulina. "It's almost our turn. Time for your first French lesson. Breakfast has to be the simplest of the three meals, in my opinion, but what do I know. Breakfast here consists primarily of breads, meaning no scrambled eggs, and no sausages, not that it affects you."

"That it doesn't."

I smiles, "Second lesson, the words on the chalkboard. Listen carefully and repeat after me. Granola." She narrows her eyes as I widen my grin and act innocence. "Means 'granola' you see, and this one? Yaourt?"

"Oh, I dunno, let me take ten minutes of our lives to think." She puts my finger on her chin and taps it, looking as though she's thinking hard. I start laughing.

"Ah, is it yogurt!" Sarcasm drips from her mouth.

"You are correct, your prize, little lady, is a whole meal!" we both are laughing now.

The Frenchman behind the counter barks at us. Sorry, Chef Pierre, I'm a little distracted by the very entertaining goth girl in front of me. I turn and ask rapidly. "Yogurt with granola and honey, or pear on brioche?"

"Yogurt, I guess."

I place our orders in French. The Chef loses the glower and stirs the granola and honey into my yogurt. A sprinkling of blueberries is added to the top before I hands it over.

"Meric. Monsieur Boutin."

She grabs put trays. "No Pop-Tarts? No Cocoa Puffs? Dude, I thought this was a school for Americans. I understand we're in France and we should eat some of their foods, but I'm totally offended right now."

"Well you do have to be American to attend SOAP, but I'm sad to say they just serve us the French food, little American food, and rarely even French fries or French toast."

"Soap?"

"School of America in Paris," I explains. "SOAP".

We get in the organized line to pay, no cutting or rough-housing. I use this time to take a good look at Sam. She's wearing black baggy pants and a black crop top. Her hair has a purple strip on the left side and her eyes are a hypnotizing amethyst. She turns around and I quickly look back up at her before she could catch me.

"So, what's your real name? Last night it was Daniel-"she stated.

"Daniel Fenton is my full name, Danny's a nickname."

"Daniel is nice, why don't people call you that?"

"Oh, Daniel is nice. How generous of you,"

I watch her hand the meal card to the man behind the register. Like Monsieur Boutin, he wears a pressed white uniform and starched hat. He also has a handlebar mustache. He swipes the card and hands it back with a quick merci.

On the way back to the table, I notice Paulina watching us from inside her posse of her click. I start talking about classes- what to expect the first day, who teachers are- trying to distract her. But she doesn't seem to be listening that much. So I just keep talking and glancing at her face.

And those beautiful eyes…..


	3. Chapter 3

"So Danny, how does it feel to be dating a college woman?" Tucker smirks at me.

"I'll be asking you the same question next year bro." I shot back, referring to Valerie. Tucker is a junior, while the rest of us are seniors.

"Ah, let's hope so."

The A-F line is line moving at a slow rate, considering Tucker and I both have F as out last name. Val, Sam, and Mer are all collecting there classes in their lines.

"So," Tucker continues. "What do you think of Sam?"

"I should be asking you, since you basically jumped her because she's a veggie lover." I laugh.

"One tiny flaw. Oh well, we needed another girl to replace Ellie. And Meredith won't feel like a girl wheel for a while."

"A while?" I question.

"Oh please Danny," Tucker turns and points to Valerie, Meredith, and Sam talking and comparing schedules. "She's hot, she's new, and she's single. Somebody's gonna snatch her up pretty soon."

"We don't know she's single." I don't take my eyes off of the group of girls. Off of Sam.

"I can only assume, but maybe one of us, A.K.A you, should ask."

My head snaps back. "Me? Why me?"

"Because, Danny boy, if I ask her and Val hears, she'll get all cra cra jelly. Your GF is miles away, and if you ask Sam she won't think you're flirting because you're with Ellie."

"Yea, you're just scared of your girlfriend." I chuckle.

"Am not!" he defenses himself.

"Are to!" Tucker kicks a puddle of water at me.

"Hey, don't deny that here ability to fight ghost doesn't freak you out just as much as it turns you on." We both start to laugh at that.

After we get out schedules, Tucker and I run to an empty table to hear the principle give her welcome speech, like she does every year. She has a long neck, and her snow-white hair is pulled into a tidy knot that makes her look like she's trying to look mid-50, even though she hit 50, like, 25 years ago. The overall effect is Parisian, although everyone knows she's from Chicago. Her gaze glides across us, her one hundred handpicked prisoners. "Welcome to another exciting year at the School of America in Paris. I'm pleased to see so many familiar faces, and I'm even happier to see the new ones."

I scan my fellow classmates until I see Sam.

"To the students who attended last year, I invite you all to give a warm welcome to your new freshman class and to the new upperclassmen, as well."

A smattering of polite applause. Sam glances around and stops when she sees me. I clap and lift my hands in my direction. She blushes and jerks away, which makes me smile.

The rest of the speech went by in a blur and I couldn't repeat any of it if you asked. I mostly just bit my nails the whole time.

Valerie runs to catch up with us after the speech is over.

"Here to walk your boyfriend to class, how sweet." I tease.

"Oh haha, Fenton, very funny." She says as she walks up to Tucker's left and grabs his hand, leaving me on the right of Tucker.

"I'm full of charm," I smirk. "Where's Sam?"

Valerie and Tucker raises their eyes at me.

"A-and Mer." I add.

"There heading to English. Let me see your schedule." She grabs my schedule out of my hand. "All four of us have English together."

"I'm jumping in my boots." I say, which is true.

We drop Tucker off at his class and head to English. Sam and Meredith are already sitting in the back talking. We walk up to them and hear a part of their conversation.

"-that girl died of leukemia." Meredith concludes.

"Who died of leukemia?" Valerie plops her backpack down next to Sam. I trails in behind her and take the seat in front of Meredith.

"Sam's dad wrote The Entrance," Meredith says.

Sam coughs. "Not something I'm proud of."

"I'm sorry, what's The Entrance?" Valerie asks.

"It's that movie about the boy who helps deliver the baby girl in the elevator, and then he grows up to fall in love with her," Meredith says as I leans back in my chair and grab her schedule. "But the day after their engagement, she's diagnosed with leukemia."

"Her father pushes her down the aisle in a wheelchair," Sam continues. "And then she dies on the honeymoon."

"Ugh," Valerie and I say together.

"Where's Tucker?" Sam asks.

"He's a junior," Valerie says, "We dropped him off at pre-calc."

"Oh." Sam says.

"Three classes together, Mer. Give us yours." I lean back again and take Sam's half sheet. "Ooo, beginning French."

"Told you. I'm probably going to be the only senior in a room full of freshman."

"It's not so bad." I hand back her schedule and smile. "You'll be reading the breakfast menu without me before you know it."

Hmm, maybe I don't want her to learn French.

Um, because I wanna get to know her better and become friends.

Right? Totally.

"Bonjour à tous." Professeur Cole, our English teacher, walks in wearing a bold turquoise dress strides in and smacks her coffee cup down on the podium. She's youngish, and she has the blond hair "For the—" Her eyes scan the room until they land on Sam.

"For the singular person who doesn't know me, je m'appelle Professeur Cole." She gives an exaggerated curtsy, and the class laughs. They swivel around to stare at Sam. She sinks in her seat.

It must suck for her, since she's the only new senior in our class of 25. Plus, this school is so small that each subject is taught by the same professeur in all four grades. Meaning all the teachers and students know each other, and she's the odd out.

"I see the janitorial staff has ignored my wishes once again," Professeur Cole says. "Everyone up. You know the drill."

We arrange them in a big circle.

Soon lunch came, my past classes a blur since it's all the same as last year, just new grade.

I now find myself at our usually table at lunch with Mer, Val, and Tuck when Sam shows up. She joins us and Meredith asks me if I've seen my girlfriend yet. I relaxes into my chair. "No, but we're meeting tonight."

"Did you see her this summer? Have her classes started? What's she taking this semester?" She keeps asking questions about Ellie to which I give short replies. Valerie and Tucker are making.

Meredith and I keep talking until we notice that Sam is bathing her grapes with a wet napkin. She glances up at us. "What?"

"Nothing," I say. "Continue your grape bath."

"They were dirty."

"Have you tried one?" Mer asks.

"No, they've still got these little mud flecks." She holds one up to show us. I plucks it from her fingers and pops it into my mouth.

I pick up another and smile. "Open up."

She opens up.

The grape brushes her lower lip as I slide it in. Meredith and Danny laugh at her reaction to the amazing flavor. "Wait until you try them as wine," Mer says.

I twirl a forkful of pasta, think of a new subject. "So. How was French class?"

Sam shudders. "Hell. Professeur Gillet is scary. She's all frown lines." She tears off a piece of baguette and shoves a hunk into my mouth.

Meredith looks thoughtful. "She can be intimidating at first, but she's really nice once you get to know her."

"Mer is her star pupil," I says.

Valerie breaks apart from Tucker, who looks dazed by the fresh air. "She's taking advanced French and advanced Spanish," she adds.

"Maybe you can be my tutor," Sam says to Meredith. "I stink at foreign languages. The only reason this place overlooked my Spanish grades was because the head reads my father's dumb novels."

"How do you know?" she asks.

She rolls her eyes. "She mentioned it once or twice in my phone interview."

"I'd like to learn Italian," Meredith says. "But they don't offer it here. I want to go to college in Rome next year. Or maybe London. I could study it there, too."

"What do you want to do?" Sam asks me suddenly. "Where are you going?"

I shrug and think of Vlad and his hold on my future. "Don't know. It depends, though I'd like to study space." I leans forward, "I've always wanted to be one of those astronauts they interview on BBC or PBS specials."

"I want to be on the classic movies channel and discuss Hitchcock and Capra with Robert Osborne. He hosts most of their programs. I mean I know he's an old dude, but he's so freaking cool. He knows everything about film."

"Really?" I lean in some more.

"Danny's head is always in space and astronomy books the size of dictionaries," Meredith interrupts. "It's hard to get him out of his room."

"That's because Ellie's always in there," Valerie says drily.

"You're one to talk." I gesture toward Valerie. "Not to mention . . . Henri."

"Henri!" Meredith says, and she and I burst into laughter.

"One frigging afternoon, and you'll never let me forget it." Valerie glances at Tucker, who stabs his pasta.

"Who's Henri?" Sam trips over the pronunciation. En-ree.

"This tour guide on a field trip to Versailles sophomore year," I says. "Skinny little bugger, but Val ditched us in the Hall of Mirrors and threw herself at him—"

"I did not!"

Meredith shakes her head. "They groped, like, all afternoon. Full public display."

"The whole school waited on the bus for two hours, because she forgot what time we were supposed to meet back," I say.

"It was NOT two hours—"

Meredith continues. "Professeur Hansen finally tracked her down behind some shrubbery in the formal gardens, and she had teeth marks all over her neck."

"Teeth marks!" I snort.

Valerie fumes. "Shut up, English Tongue."

"Huh?"

"English Tongue," she says. "That's what we all called you after your and Ellie's breathtaking display at the street fair last spring." I tries to protest, but I'm laughing too hard and Meredith and Valerie continue jabbing back and forth.

We notice Sam being quite so we all look and see her staring at the table, on the verge of tears.

"Sam? Are you all right?" I asks.

" 's the bathroom?"

"The toilets are down the hall." I tell her with concern, but I don't dare ask. I don't think I know her well enough to have the right too. Yet.

She gets up and leaves the table.

"She must be homesick. When I first meet her yesterday, she was crying because she misses home. Poor thing. I wonder what she had to leave behind that she misses so much." Meredith says before taking another bite of her food.

_What? _It doesn't seem like it's a _what_. It seems like she left a '_who'_ behind.

_Who_, as in maybe a guy.


End file.
